To Every Thing There is a Season
by Sonata IX
Summary: Expanding on Queen Clarion's relationship with Lord Milori, from the beginning of Pixie Hollow to the end of "The Secret of the Wings".
1. Chapter 1: A Time to Be Born

_To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven._

A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;  
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;  
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;  
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;  
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;  
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;  
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

 _Ecclesiastes 3:1-8_

* * *

 **Author's Notes:** This story is using information exclusively from the Tinker Bell films or gleaned from the Disney Fairies Wiki. So for the most part, yep I'm just making it all up. :D

Also, in the first movie, there are some scenes where winter fairies are seen in warm areas...but since The Secret of the Wings conveniently ignores that detail, so shall I!

* * *

"When the first baby laughed for the first time, his laugh broke into a million pieces, and they all went skipping about. That was the beginning of fairies."  
\- J M Barrie, _The Little White Bird_

In the beginning, there were no fairies in Never Land. The land was full of plants and animals and magic, so much magic that it could not be contained within the land itself. The magic burst forth and stretched up to the sky in the form of an enormous tree, and still the magic overflowed, spilling from the tree in a steady golden stream.

It was the magic of the tree that attracted the first fairy to Never Land. She was only a seed, a fragment of a laugh, when she arrived. As her seed landed at the base of the great tree, it sprouted rapidly into a perfect, tiny figure with glossy brown hair and shimmering wings. The first fairy stared in awe at the giant tree and its golden waterfall. She reached out a hand to caress the rough bark, and at her touch the tree knew her and bathed her in its light.

When the light faded, the fairy looked down at herself. She was wearing a long glittering dress and her wide wings sparkled behind her. Both of them were infused with the same colors as the waterfall. Her hair had changed too and she touched it gently, discovering that it had woven and twisted itself around a delicate crown that seemed to be made of the tree's own glowing twigs.

She stepped closer to the waterfall and looked down into the pool to see her reflection, then gasped. Kneeling, she dipped her fingers into the pool and found it to be not water but dust. Pixie dust, flowing from the heart of the Pixie Dust Tree.

Her wings spread, lifting her gently into the air as she slowly circled the great tree, admiring its beauty and power. Her spiraling ascent took her into the wide, sheltering branches, and then above them. As the bright sun spilled over her, the fairy took her first look at her new home.

The land around her was lush and tangled, an explosion of life. Plants grew and blossomed and lived and faded and were reborn all around her. Birds circled over the trees, then dove and dipped into the canopy before re-emerging elsewhere, and she could hear a hundred different animal sounds coming from each direction she turned. It was as if everything was happening everywhere, all at once.

Then the fairy knew in her heart that she had been brought here for a reason and entrusted with a great purpose.

Smiling, she let herself sink back into the shade of the Pixie Dust Tree's leaves. She would make a home here in these branches, a home big enough for herself and for all of those who would come after, to help her with her mission.

* * *

It was not long before the first of her companions arrived. She saw the seed floating in on the warm wind and hurried to the base of the tree to await its landing.

The seed blossomed into a tall, thin sparrow man. He looked around in astonishment before focusing on the lovely fairy before him. She held out her hands and greeted him with a warm smile.

"Born in laughter, clothed in cheer, happiness has brought you here. Welcome to Pixie Hollow."

They were the first words she had ever spoken and the first time she had named her land out loud.

"Who...are you?" He asked tentatively, placing his hands in hers.

She had not thought of her own name before, but as soon as her fingers touched his, she knew. Her smile widened. "I am Clarion," she answered, "and you are Hyacinth."

"Hyacinth," he repeated slowly, and then nodded, a smile growing on his face.

"Now we must find your purpose," Clarion told him, leading him to the row of objects she had selected: a twig, an acorn, a flower and a maple leaf. Each item had a hidden meaning.

Hyacinth went at once to the acorn and picked it up, cradling it in his hands.

Clarion smiled again. "You are the Minister of Spring, Hyacinth. I give into your charge the Spring Valley." As she spoke, she lifted a hand to gesture to the east and Hyacinth turned to look.

The forest changed before them. Flowers that had been blooming retreated into buds. Trees shed their leaves and grew tiny blossoms instead. Plants near the end of their lives fell to the earth to give way to new life that sprouted from their remains. Each living thing in the valley adapted to the spring-time of its life cycle.

Hyacinth's mouth had dropped open at the changes and now he turned back to her with happiness lighting up his eyes. "It's beautiful! Thank you, Queen Clarion." He gave her a small bow, and then flew off to survey the land that was now his responsibility.

At the end of the day, Hyacinth returned to the Pixie Dust Tree and Clarion shyly showed him the home she had been shaping in the branches of the tree. Hyacinth was delighted and immediately set to adding his own touches of Spring the treehouse.

Soon after, they were joined by the ministers of the other seasons.

To Sunflower, a vivacious fairy with a mass of curly hair to match, went the Summer Glade, where flowers bloomed and trees bore fruit and the sun was always brightly shining.

To Redleaf, a deep-voiced sparrow man, went the Autumn Forest, where shades of orange, red and amber cycled endlessly through the flora.

And to Snowflake, an elegant fairy with pale hair to match her season, went the Winter Woods, where snow and ice constantly blanketed the earth.

In each case, the new minister went immediately to survey their lands, but the Minister of Winter received a shock. When Snowflake crossed into the season of Winter, the bitter cold immediately bit into her skin and crippled her wings. The other ministers quickly helped her back into the warm air and after a short time her wings regained a healthy glow, but Snowflake was distraught.

"How can I take care of a land I cannot enter?" she pled to the queen.

Clarion shook her head sadly. "I don't know. For now, we must make sure that none of us or any others cross into the Winter Woods." She led a disheartened Snowflake away from the boundary between the seasons.

Over time she learned about each of her ministers. Unable to do anything else, Snowflake took a scholarly approach and studied everything she could about winter. Hyacinth and Redleaf were both diligent in their duties, though Hyacinth was more likely to panic at anything unexpected whereas Redleaf would take it in stride. Sunflower was very different from her fellow ministers and her methods were extremely disorganized in comparison, but she still managed her land well and Clarion enjoyed her cheerful, bubbly personality.

As other fairies arrived, new talents were discovered and the house in the Pixie Dust Tree grew into a palace. Soon the tree began to feel crowded, and the queen and ministers worried that expanding the palace too much would damage the tree. Luckily, they discovered a towering maple tree not far from the Pixie Dust Tree, in the Summer Glade. The maple tree, soon dubbed the Home Tree, made an excellent place for all the the fairies to live and soon the Pixie Dust Tree was only used for official functions and for greeting new arrivals.

Thanks to all the new talents that the fairies were bringing, the Home Tree was quickly organized into apartments, workshops, a library, and more. The palace in the Pixie Dust Tree was transformed into a theater, a ballroom, and even a gaming coliseum nestled in its roots.

Clarion still greeted each arrival personally and most of the other fairies joined in the ceremony, bringing a token of their talent to see if the new fairy would take to it.

One day, the Minister of Spring hurried to see her, his face twisted with anxiety. "Queen Clarion!" He called urgently. "Something _new_ is happening!"

Clarion smiled fondly. She was growing used to Hyacinth's outbursts over anything that didn't fit into his plans.

"Calm down, Hyacinth," she soothed. "What is it?"

He wrung his hands. "It's...well, it's...it's a flower, Your Majesty!"

Clarion blinked in surprise. "A flower?"

"Yes!" He nodded vigorously. "The evergreen flower! It's...it's _blooming!"_

She smothered a laugh, not wanting to offend her minister. Then the name he had said registered. "The evergreen!" she breathed, her eyes lighting up. "It's fine, Hyacinth." She placed a hand gently on his arm to calm him. "I've been waiting for this to happen."

Hyacinth calmed under her touch and tilted his head curiously, raising an eyebrow. "You have?"

Clarion nodded. "Yes, it means it's time to share Spring with the world. This is our purpose!" She beckoned to the other ministers, who had been drawn by Hyacinth's outburst.

"This is the purpose of Pixie Hollow, the reason it is divided into four seasons. At the appropriate time each year, we must take each season to the world. The evergreen blooming is the sign that it's time for Spring. Soon we will see a sign for Summer, then Autumn, and finally Winter before the cycle begins again."

The ministers were all stunned by this revelation. Hyacinth actually glared at the queen. "Oh there is so much to do now!" he wailed, flying off towards Spring Valley in a rush.

"Oh my," Redleaf spluttered, "I'm glad I have several season to prepare before we need to share Autumn. Poor Hyacinth!"

Sunflower threw back her head and laughed. "Poor Hyacinth indeed! Well, it can't be that difficult. I can't wait until it's Summer's turn!"

Snowflake said nothing, merely frowned thoughtfully and stared at the Winter Woods with an intense longing. Clarion's heart went out to her minister. Now it was even more important that they figure out what to do about winter.

Then a few days later, Clarion caught Snowflake poised at the boundary. The Minister of Winter was wearing a long, thick white dress that glittered as if decorated in ice crystals.

"Oh, what a beautiful gown!" Clarion gushed as she approached her minister from behind.

Snowflake jumped and looked at the queen guiltily before smoothing her face into a serene mask. "Some of the tinker-talent and animal-talent fairies made it for me together," she said. "They expect it will be warm enough to allow me to visit my lands." Seeing the queen's frown, she hastily added, "For short periods of time, at least."

Clarion nodded reluctantly. "Very short, Snowflake," she cautioned. "We don't know what will happen if you get too cold. The damage to your wings could become permanent."

Snowflake solemnly nodded. "I will be careful, my queen," she replied formally.

From that day, the Minister of Winter began to cautiously explore. Though Clarion worried, she saw that Snowflake only spent small amounts of time in the Winter Woods, increasing the length of her visits gradually as she learned the limits.

One day there was a great commotion at the base of the Home Tree and Clarion emerged to find Snowflake mounted on the back of a snowy owl. The queen hurried forward, smothering her own fear as she saw the other fairies backing away from the bird and looking to her for guidance.

"Snowflake, what is this?" she demanded, approaching cautiously as the minister slid down from the bird's back. Snowflake scratched the owl under the chin with a smile.

"This is Flurry, Your Majesty. He and his kind are friendly and highly trainable. With his help, I can explore all of the Winter Woods before the cold overwhelms me."

Clarion stepped up beside Snowflake and slowly reached out, scratching the bird's chin as Snowflake had. Flurry tilted his head into her caress and cooed happily. He looked so adorable that Clarion couldn't help the giggle that slipped out.

Snowflake smiled back at her and then became serious. "Your Majesty, there's more. While I was surveying the land, I discovered an astonishing thing." Excitement filled her voice. "There are fairies living in the Winter Woods!"

Clarion gasped and heard her astonishment echoed by the other fairies that had gathered. "But how can that be?"

"They're cold fairies, not warm like the rest of us!" Snowflake explained eagerly. "The snow feels as pleasant to them as the grass does to us."

"I must see this for myself," Clarion decided. "Have your friends make me a coat. We must go as soon as possible."

Snowflake nodded and within hours the two fairies were sailing through the chilled air on Flurry's back. It was Clarion's first real view of the Winter Woods and she found the glittering whiteness breathtakingly beautiful.

"There!" Snowflake pointed with a mittened hand. In a clearing below, Clarion could see fairies gathering, staring up at them. Flurry dove smoothly to land in the clearing and the two fairies climbed down.

Clarion looked around in awe. She was surrounded by fairies in sleeveless tops and short skirts or pants, oblivious to the freezing weather surrounding them. Their clothing was mostly made from pale, frozen leaves. Though their hair colors varied as much as warm fairies' did, most had black or silver hair, and they almost exclusively had very pale skin. They approached the queen with smiles, overjoyed that she had finally come to visit them.

"How is this possible?" Clarion murmured in amazement.

"Look," Snowflake pointed again, and Clarion gasped. There was a second Pixie Dust Tree here!

Clarion approached it reverently and laid her hands upon it. "It's part of the original tree," she said, surprised. "The roots must travel underneath the land, all the way here so it can provide dust for the winter fairies that can't leave the cold."

She turned to the waiting crowd. "Winter fairies, which of you was the first to arrive here?"

A sparrow man stepped forward, a broad-shouldered man with silver hair. "I was, Your Majesty." He dropped to one knee before her.

Clarion stared at him. She had no idea who he was. She had met and named every other fairy as they arrived, but she had not even been aware these winter fairies existed. "Please, rise. What is your name?" she asked tentatively.

The man stood. "Milori, Your Majesty." His voice was deep, with an unusual accent. She wondered if all winter fairies spoke the way he did.

"And who gave you that name?" she questioned.

He frowned. "When I first arrived, I was standing right here in front of the tree. As I looked at it, I just...knew." He looked uncomfortable under the scrutiny of the queen and her minister. "Later, others arrived and I knew their names as well. We also discovered we have a few different talents amongst us."

Clarion nodded. His experience was much like her own, but specific to the Winter Woods rather than all of Pixie Hollow. She caught Snowflake's eye. "I think we have a solution to your problem," she told the Minister of Winter with a smile.

Snowflake's eyes widened in understanding and she studied Milori with piercing intensity. He frowned but refused to be cowed, and Snowflake gave him a small smile of approval.

"Milori," she began, stepping forward so they were an arm's length apart. "Will you consent to be my superintendent in the Winter Woods? To govern it fairly, as I and Queen Clarion cannot?"

Milori looked stunned for a moment, his eyes darting between Clarion and Snowflake. Clarion gave him an encouraging smile and he straightened his shoulders to stand proudly. "It would be my honor, minister."

Clarion touched Snowflake's shoulder and she stepped aside so the queen could face Milori. "Then I hereby name you the Lord of Winter. Lord Milori, you are given charge of the winter fairies and you will report to Minister Snowflake."

Milori bowed to them both. As he straightened, his eyes met Clarion's and smiled.


	2. Chapter 2: A Time to Love

Life in Pixie Hollow proceeded peacefully. The fairies had settled into the routine of bringing seasons to the world. New fairies still arrived, but with less frequency. Most fairies were kept busy with their work, which they loved and enjoyed, but they still found plenty of time to visit each other and enjoy the other seasons.

Winter was the exception, since cold fairies could not survive without the cold and warm fairies could only visit for a short time in small groups, supervised by Snowflake and Milori to ensure that none of them got too cold. Over time, warm fairies and cold fairies began to naturally grow apart, seeing less and less of each other except in rare cases. Clarion herself rarely had a reason to visit the Winter Woods, though she liked to explore the other lands on her own and took a personal interest in what her fairies were doing.

One day while visiting the Spring Valley, Clarion found herself near the border to the Winter Woods and heard a strange sound she could not identify. She flew closer, peeking through the blossoms of a flowering tree curiously. Then her mouth fell open as she stared.

Just across the border was a lake that had iced over. Milori, with thin blades strapped to his feet, glided across it. The noise she had heard was the blades striking the ice.

She didn't have a name for what he was doing. It was like dancing without steps, flying without wings, swimming...but across the top of the frozen water instead of within its depths. His movements were graceful and powerful, frost trailing behind him to create intricate swirls on the icy surface. He moved almost as quickly as if flying, though his wings remained tucked tightly against his back.

The lake's nearest bank was barely inside the Spring Valley, so Clarion drifted down to sit on the bright grass that blanketed it, mesmerized by Milori's dance.

Suddenly, he leapt into the air, spinning like a top. His wings snapped up to keep him airborne longer than any normal jump. Clarion gasped in surprise and her own wings fluttered in response to the skilled move. He landed gracefully on one foot and she marveled that he could balance on one thin blade.

He slowed and she realized she had drawn his attention when his jump startled her. She blushed and stood as he glided closer.

"Your Majesty," he greeted her, inclining his head as he stopped at the edge of the lake. His pale face was flushed pink from his exertions, or perhaps he was embarrassed to find her watching? She took a few steps closer until she reached the very edge of the border.

"Please don't be so formal, Milori. Others call me Clarion most of the time." She smiled warmly at him and he seemed momentarily nonplussed. "Your dance was beautiful. What are you wearing on your feet?" She gestured to the blades.

Again he looked surprised, but recovered quickly. "Ice skates, Your Majesty. It's a popular pastime for winter fairies." He lifted one foot so she could better see the blade. "I guess it's not something you see outside of the Winter Woods," he said with a smile.

She sighed wistfully. "It looked incredible."

The pink in his cheeks darkened and he looked away. Clarion smothered a giggle. He _was_ embarrassed. "It's not that difficult, especially if you're a good flier. Just a different type of balance."

Clarion shook her head, staring at the lake. "I can't even imagine…"

"I could teach you," he said suddenly. She blinked at him in surprise. He also looked a bit startled, as if caught off guard by his own words.

"Oh, I don't know," she replied uncertainly. "My ministers don't like me to risk myself by visiting winter unless it's absolutely necessary. I'm as vulnerable to the cold as any warm fairy."

"Of course," he said contritely. "It was irresponsible of me to offer." He turned to leave but she stopped him.

"Wait! It's...really not that hard?"

He smiled reassuringly. "Not at all, Your Majesty. And you'd be very safe with me to guide you."

She frowned at the lake, absently noting that he had ignored her wish that he use her name.

He hesitated a moment longer, then rolled his shoulders in an awkward shrug and began to skate away again. "If you change your mind, I come here most evenings," he called back to her.

Clarion smiled and gave him a small wave.

* * *

"Ice skating?" Snowflake asked in surprise.

Clarion nodded, taking a sip of honey from her teacup. She was enjoying an informal lunch with the Minister of Winter.

"No, it's not dangerous, but wherever did you hear about it?" Snowflake asked with an amused smile.

"I saw Milori the other day. He offered to teach me."

Snowflake sat up, alarmed. "You saw him?"

"From a distance," Clarion added. "I was safely on the warm side of the border, don't fret."

Snowflake relaxed and gave the queen an abashed smile. "My apologies, you know I worry about any warm fairy that visits the Winter Woods. You are especially important to all of us." She was silent for a moment. "Milori is a very good ice skater."

Clarion sighed, remembering how graceful and powerful he had looked. "Yes, he is," she agreed.

" _Very_ good," Snowflake drawled. Clarion looked at her sharply and noted the sly expression on the minister's face. She blushed scarlet.

"Snowflake! He only offered to teach me to skate, not-" She cut herself off and huffed.

Snowflake merely smirked and sipped her honey.

* * *

The next evening just before sunset, Clarion dusted off her rarely-used winter coat and went to the lake. When she arrived, Milori was sitting on the far bank. He grinned when he saw her and skated across the frozen expanse.

"I hoped you'd come, Your Majesty," he said, holding out a hand to help her onto the ice.

"It's just Clarion, Lord Milori," she chided gently, placing her gloved hand in his.

He smiled. "Then it's just Milori, Clarion."

He pointed his free hand at her boots and blades appeared beneath them. Her feet immediately began to slide and she wavered unsteadily. "Whoa, there," he said softly, placing a hand on her waist. Then he quickly pulled his hand back and eyed her uncertainly.

She gave him a mock scowl. "Honestly, Milori, how do you expect to teach me anything if you keep acting like this?"

With a relieved nod, he brought his hand back to her waist and Clarion fought to keep from blushing. It had seemed perfectly normal until he made a fuss about it!

"Now," he said, adjusting his grip as if they were dancing, "balance on one foot and push with the other. Don't worry about falling, I've got you. Just try to move for now."

Turning her attention to her feet, Clarion did as he instructed. To her surprise, she slid easily across the ice. Her feet wobbled a bit, but his grip on her hand and waist was secure. Slowly they made their way around the edge of the lake together. By the time they'd made a full circle, Clarion felt she was beginning to understand the motions. She grinned up at Milori and he smiled back at her.

Then he let go of her waist, so their joined hands were the only thing steadying her. Clarion wobbled in surprise but Milori said sharply, "Don't think, just let your feet move!" She took a deep breath and followed his advice, and soon she was gliding smoothly again.

They circled the lake twice more, Clarion's confidence growing with each sweep of her feet. It really _was_ easy! She let Milori's fingers slip from her hand and sped forward on her own. She was certain he could out-skate her if he wanted to, but for now he slowed and followed at a short distance behind her.

The sun continued to set and night seemed to arrive all too quickly. She would never have guessed one could spend so much time happily going on circles! Milori eventually skated out to the middle of the lake to practice some of his more complex moves. Clarion was still in awe of him. A few times she had tried skating on one foot, tentatively lifting the other up behind her as she saw Milori do, but it felt indecent in a long dress. She didn't dare try any of the jumps that he performed so effortlessly.

Frustrated, she wondered if she could convince anyone to make her a shorter skirt and coat like the other female fairies often wore. It was so unusual for her to wear anything other than a long dress. She wasn't entirely sure if she, or the other fairies, would find it acceptable attire for a queen.

Feeling bold, she skated out to the middle of the lake to join Milori. She sped past him before he saw her, startling him so that he wobbled as badly as she had earlier in the day. She tossed a saucy grin over her shoulder as she left him behind, blowing him a kiss. His shocked expression was enough to make her laugh.

That's when her skate hit a furrow in the ice. She gasped, her arms pinwheeling over her head as she stumbled. Her wings beat uselessly underneath her coat, helpless to stop her from falling. She saw Milori's expression go from shock to alarm. "Clarion!" he yelled, and dove for her. She closed her eyes, anticipating the impact on the hard ice.

Strong arms wrapped around her instead and she opened her eyes to find herself floating only a few inches from the ground. Milori hovered over her, his wings beating the air frantically from his sudden leap to catch her. He lowered her to the ice gently, kneeling beside her.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.

Clarion could only nod, overwhelmed by the near accident, by his arms around her, by his face so close to hers. She gulped, then winced. "My ankle," she said faintly.

She couldn't help the blush that stained her cheeks as he adroitly lifted the hem of her skirt to examine her foot. He ran his fingers over her leaf boot, massaging gently. She shivered. "Does it hurt?" he asked.

"Only a little," she whispered.

He nodded. "It's just strained then. Try to stay off of it as much as possible for a few days." He resettled her skirt, refusing to meet her eyes. The tips of his ears were pink. "Let's...get you warm." Climbing to his feet, he scooped her into his arms.

Clarion yelped, flinging her arms around his neck. "Oh my, Milori!" she exclaimed with a small laugh. He stiffened and she studied his face, so close to hers. "I'm sorry," she said, abashed. "I seem to be a bit giddy…"

He nodded awkwardly and began to skate towards the Spring side from the lake. "The adrenalin from the fall," he murmured. His ears were still pink. Clarion decided to keep her mouth shut, lest she embarrass either of them further.

When he set her carefully at the edge of the border, she hobbled across it and shed her coat quickly, allowing her wings to lift her into the air and off of her sore ankle. She turned to Milori, who had regained his composure.

"Thank you," she told him shyly. "It was wonderful."

He smiled. "No more skating until that ankle feels better, but don't let the fall bother you. It happens to everyone from time to time."

"I'm a queen, Milori. It takes more than one little fall to stop me."

He met her eyes and she leaned forward impulsively to lay a hand on his cheek, then quickly turned and flew off.

She glanced back once just before she reached the trees and saw him still standing at the edge of the boundary, fingers touching his face where her hand had lain.

* * *

A few days had passed. More than a few.

Milori ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. He didn't know what to do.

He wanted to see Clarion again, but on the other hand he wasn't sure it was wise. He couldn't deny that he was attracted to her, but how could a cold fairy and a warm fairy ever be together? Even if - especially if - one of them was the queen!

He hoped that Clarion had come to the same realization and made the decision easy for him by staying away from the lake. On the other hand, would that mean that she was attracted to him as well? His fingers strayed again, as they did so often lately, to his cheek where she had touched him. Somehow, he had thought that the touch of a warm fairy would burn, but it had not. He wondered if he had felt cold or merely cool to her.

He sighed disconsolately. In spite of the internal turmoil, he still came to the lake each evening.

Movement in the distance attracted his attention and he looked up. His heart leapt into his throat. She had come.

Rising, he watched her descend until they stood on opposite banks, separated by the stretch of frozen water. They stared across at each other for long moments before he stepped onto the ice and began to glide towards her. They met at the border, each staying carefully on their own side.

As soon as he drew near, he saw that she was studying his face intently, as if searching for something. At last, she dropped her gaze and he frowned. The timidity seemed wrong in the queen.

"I'm sorry I stayed away so long," she said at last. "I had a lot of thinking to do."

"I, as well," he replied softly.

She looked at him again, hope in her eyes, and started to lift her arms. Something must have shown on his face because she suddenly froze, her hands curling into fists as she lowered her arms and looked away again.

Milori sighed. Reaching across the boundary, he cupped her face in one hand. "Clarion," he said tenderly, looking deep into her blue eyes.

At the sound of her name, a smile lit her face. Not a blazing, overjoyed smile, nor the flirtatious smile she had teased him with just before her fall. This smile was a soft glow that melted his resolve. He drew her forward gently and, with barely a thought to the consequences, pressed his lips to hers.

Her lips were as soft as flower petals, warm against his but again not the burning heat he'd feared. When she didn't move, he started to pull back, but then her arms came around his neck and his hand slipped from her face into her hair and she kissed him back with a passion that astonished him.

When they finally separated, they were both flushed and breathing heavily. Clarion stepped back, but didn't release him. Her expression was stricken.

"Oh, Milori, what are we going to do?" she whispered.

He gave her a sad smile. "I wish I knew."


	3. Chapter 3: A Time to Rend

They continued skating together, meeting at the lake between Spring and Winter nearly every day at sunset. Clarion easily learned everything that Milori had to teach her. Soon they could skate easily with each other, though Clarion could never jump as high or as far as Milori without being able to use her wings. She laughed and called him a show-off whenever he 'cheated', but he could see that it delighted her to watch.

Sometimes they sat and talked, he on the frozen ice of the lake and she on the warm bank. He told her what it was like to be the first winter fairy and she told him what it was like to be the first fairy in all of Pixie Hollow. They held hands and smiled. That was something they shared that no other fairy could understand.

Sometimes they kissed. Milori had never experienced anything as exhilarating as kissing Clarion. Next to her, skating was nothing. _Flying_ was nothing.

They never talked about the future. They both knew there could be nothing there for them. He could not live outside of winter, and she could only visit winter for brief times and with proper clothing. It was impossible.

Once they sat snuggled together on the winter side of the lake, but Clarion quickly began to shiver. He had discovered that as she felt slightly warm to him, he felt slightly cool to her. While they were skating, the exertion helped keep her warm, but when they sat together, there was nothing he could do to provide warmth. He made her quickly return to Spring when he realized it, though he could tell she regretted it as much as he did.

"You can't push yourself like this," he cautioned her, kneeling before her just on his side of the border. She had shed her coat to let the fading sun warm her, but her face was still wan. "Please," he begged. "If something were to happen to you, it would hurt all of Pixie Hollow. I would never forgive myself."

"Stop, Milori." She reached across the boundary to place her hand on his cheek. He immediately covered it with his own, protecting her skin from the cold air. "I was only indulging myself a little. It won't happen again." Her words eased his concerns a little, but she sounded so tired.

This can't continue, he thought sadly.

When she left that evening, they shared a kiss as they often did and Milori held her a few moments longer than usual. "Clarion, I love you," he whispered into her hair.

"Milori…" She drew back to look at him, tears of joy filling her eyes. "I love you too," she smiled.

There were tears in his eyes too, when she left, but not from joy.

He did not go back to the lake the next day.

* * *

Clarion skated glumly across the ice. She was alone.

She had not seen Milori since the day he had confessed his love to her. Part of her was full of bitter sorrow that they could never be together as they wanted, but a larger part of her was aglow from the knowledge that she loved and was loved in return. But with each day apart from Milori, the glow dwindled and the sorrow grew. She had no idea why he had disappeared.

She had come back the next day, and the next, and the next, each time telling herself something must have come up to keep him away. After all, her own duties kept her busy at times too. But with each day that passed, it became harder and harder to make excuses.

Clarion felt something that she didn't often experience: anger. She skated faster around the lake, daringly trying some jumps that she had never attempted before. She felt a grim satisfaction as she successfully completed each one. How dare Milori abandon her with no explanation! Especially after such a confession at their last meeting! He was such a...a... _man!_

Tears filled her eyes suddenly. In a way, this was worse than having him nearby and knowing they could never truly be together.

Blinded by her tears, the small imperfection in the ice was all it took to cause her to lose her balance. Her feet flew out from under her and her arms flailed through the air, but this time there was no one to catch her. She landed hard on her back, cracking her head hard enough on the ice that she saw stars.

She lay unmoving for a few moments, catching her breath. Then she sat up with a groan and gingerly fingered the knot at the back of her head. Her eyes focused on the far bank and she gasped.

Milori stood there, his face paler than usual and his expression worried. Clarion knew that she should call to him and tell him that she was fine, but she was too shocked to do anything other than stare, drinking in his visage. She had missed him so much!

He started across the ice towards her and she climbed carefully to her feet, straightening just as he reached her. He stopped in front of her, saying nothing, though his eyes swept over her as he searched for injuries.

"I'm fine," she said unnecessarily. "Where have you been?"

When he still said nothing, she folded her arms and glared at him regally. He bowed his head and she flushed. She didn't want him to behave like one of her subjects.

"I thought it best that I stay away," he said softly. "I hoped eventually you would see the sense in that as well."

"Milori," she began but he shook his head.

"It's long past time we faced up to the truth. Clarion, how can this be good for either of us?"

She placed a hand on his chest, over his heart, and waited until he met her gaze. "I love you," she said simply. "How can it be bad?"

His hand came up to cover hers and she thought he was going to smile, but he merely lowered her hand and then slid away from her so they were no longer touching. "You know how," he said solemnly. His eyes drifted over her shoulder and she turned to look.

Her four ministers stood on the Spring bank, watching with varying degrees of disapproval. She gasped. "You told them!"

He looked sad. "When you kept coming here, I realized that my absence alone would not be enough to deter you. I'm sorry, Your Majesty."

Her eyes widened at the title, and then she glared at him. "Don't think this is over, _Lord of Winter_. I'm not giving up on us so easily!" She held her head high as she glided over to her ministers, though she could not meet their eyes. They had all agreed that travel in Winter should be strictly monitored, and now she had broken her own rules.

When Snowflake donned a pair of ice skates and went out to meet Milori, she turned subtly so she could watch from the corner of her eye.

Milori was still standing where she had left him, shoulders slumped. Snowflake placed a hand on his arm. "It's for the best, Milori," she said gently. He slowly nodded at her words, though his expression was no less forlorn, and Clarion looked away in bitter disappointment. Snowflake sighed and returned to the bank, and together the four ministers escorted Clarion home.

* * *

She dreamed.

She was snuggled in Milori's arms. She sighed happily, twining her body around his. They were cocooned together by swaths of blankets in a bed she didn't recognize, but it didn't bother her. She was just happy to be close to him.

Cool fingers tilted her chin up and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. She smiled at him. Yet even in the dream, she knew she would have to leave soon. "I wish we could stay like this forever," she whispered.

He smiled back at her and placed a finger on her lips. "Watch," he said, eyes twinkling.

He placed his hand on her bare arm. She shivered, though his touch was not unpleasant. He drew his fingers along her arm and she gasped as she saw he was leaving a trail of frost along her skin. "Milori, what-"

"Shhh," he said.

Her left arm was now entirely covered with frost, but it didn't feel numb as she expected. In fact, it felt pleasantly warm. The frost spread across her body wherever her skin met Milori's, until she was completely engulfed. It was stifling, the way that burying her head under a blanket was. She couldn't believe she could feel so warm and comfortable while surrounded by ice.

"Not ice, frosting," she giggled. "Like a sweet."

"Like a sweet," Milori smiled. His eyes burned into hers as he leaned close. "Delicious."

Clarion came awake with a start, her heart racing and her body flushed. The dream was still vivid in her mind and she blushed further at the thought of what she had wanted Milori to do to her. Then she gasped.

"Frost! That's the answer!" She tossed her blankets aside and dressed quickly.

A natural frost could be as harmful to living things as ice or snow, but fairy frost was special. It coated objects in a cool blanket, sealing the warmth inside and protecting them from the cold.

Milori's talent was frost. Surely between the two of them they could find a way to use it to protect her from the cold of Winter, and then there would be nothing left to keep them apart.

"This will work," she said aloud, eyes shining with feverish intensity as she hurried into the night. "This will definitely work!"

* * *

Milori woke from a restless sleep. He'd been having a rather potent dream about Clarion asking him to do some things that were not at all appropriate. Flushed, he rose and stepped out onto his balcony, drawing deep breaths of the cold air.

A white shape slipped across the edge of his vision and he flinched back in surprise. A snowy owl cut through the night sky. Milori inhaled sharply as he saw Snowflake on its back.

"Milori, thank goodness!" she cried. Her face was pale and tight.

"What is it?" Milori asked urgently.

"The queen!" she yelled back ask Flurry circled, unable to land on the small balcony. "She disappeared from her chambers in the middle of the night. Her winter clothes are missing too."

Milori felt suddenly dizzy and he gripped the balcony for support. "No! _No!"_

Within moments he was fully dressed and outside, summoning a snowy owl of his own. Owls could fly as fast as any fairy and they could see better in the dark. Gripping the owl's feathers tightly, they took to the sky.

He checked the lake first, though he held little hope that the queen would be there. She would almost certainly be looking for him and wouldn't expect him to be at the lake at night. Backtracking to the bridge, the only other place someone could cross the border without flying, he began to follow the path towards his home. If Clarion was wearing her coat, she would be on foot and almost certainly have come this way.

By that point, other winter fairies and owls had joined the search. Fairy lights filled the night as voices frantically called for the queen.

Maybe they were wrong. Maybe Clarion was safely on the warm side of the border. Maybe-

Something fluttered forlornly in the snow.

" _There!_ " he yelled.

Half a dozen owls and fairies responded to his call, but he reached her first.

She was huddled in a ball to protect herself against the cold. Her ankle, that same ankle from last time, was twisted and swollen. He touched her cheek and found her skin to be like ice. "Oh Clari, no," he whispered.

He looked around at the gathering fairies. "We have to get her out of Winter!" Without a thought, he gathered her into his arms and jumped onto the owl's back, urging the owl towards the border as fast as it could fly.

When they reached the bridge, the bird started to slow but he urged it onward. Clarion needed help immediately. She didn't have time to wait at the bridge for help to come to her.

As the owl neared the Home Tree, Milori leapt from its back and flew straight inside, not even bothering to wait for the bird to land. Inside, fairies swarmed into the lobby. A gaggle of healing-talent fairies converged on him, lifting the queen gently from his arms.

"There's something wrong with her ankle," he told them, gasping for breath. "And she's so cold...please, you have to save her!"

One of the healers patted his arm. "You did well to bring her so quickly, Lord Milori. She's in the best of hands, don't worry."

Sagging in relief, Milori wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead and realized suddenly where he was: deep in the heart of Summer. With one last glance as the healers bustled the unconscious Clarion away, he staggered outside to where the owl was waiting and dragged himself onto its back.

"Home," he breathed into its feathers. "Home."

* * *

She was floating. It was the only way Clarion could describe the sensation.

She came slowly, oh so slowly, to wakefulness. She didn't feel like she was lying in bed, but nor did she feel anything else. Where was she? What had happened?

She opened her eyes and looked around slowly.

She _was_ lying down, but she was not lying _on_ anything. Her body was suspended in midair, surrounded by a bubble of glowing golden liquid. Hovering nearby was Fairy Mary. The matronly fairy's eyes were red and swollen, and she looked exhausted. "Mary?" Clarion tried to say, but her throat was oddly dry and the word came out in a half-croak. Still, Mary jerked upright and her eyes locked onto Clarion's.

"Oh, goodness! Oh thank goodness! Ministers! She's awake!" Mary fluttered anxiously back and forth between Clarion and the door, and then burst into tears.

Clarion was shocked. "Mary, what…" She coughed dryly and Mary hurriedly brought a cup of water to tilt into her mouth.

"There, there, Your Majesty. Don't strain yourself. You've been unconscious for several days now."

Clarion's eyes widened and she almost choked on the water. Several _days?_

Then the room was full of fairies: healers, ministers, and anyone else who could squeeze in to see with their own eyes that the queen was awake.

"What? How?" she tried to ask, but one of the healers shushed her.

"Your Majesty, please don't try to speak. Do you remember what happened?" Clarion shook her head. "You injured your ankle in the Winter Woods in the middle of the night. Your body suffered a severe shock and we've been holding you like this to keep your temperature as constant as possible until the damage has been healed. It's a miracle that your wings didn't break! If Lord Milori had brought you a moment later-"

"Milori," Clarion croaked.

The healer hesitated and the ministers exchanged concerned glances. "Perhaps later-" the healer began gently.

"No!" Clarion began to cough and the healer hastened to soothe her. "Please." She met the healer's eyes and held them until the fairy sighed.

"He flew all the way to the Home Tree with you," the healer said quietly. "He saved your life, Your Majesty. As soon as he left you with us, he tried to return to Winter but...it was too late." Clarion's eyes widened. "His owl got him safely across the border, but his wings...I'm sorry, Your Majesty, one of them was broken."

Clarion's eyes filled with tears and she opened and closed her mouth soundlessly. She wanted to curl up into a tiny ball and cry, but she couldn't. She was stuck floating here for all to see and besides, she was their queen. They expected her to be strong.

Swallowing her sobs, Clarion attempted to smooth her face into her usual regal expression. From the pitying looks around the room, she only partially succeeded.

"Please make sure the winter fairies have anything they need to aid in Lord Milori's recovery," she said in a calm, if raspy, voice. The ministers nodded and departed, taking much of the crowd with them.

The healer placed a comforting hand on Clarion's head, one of the few areas not submerged, but Clarion only turned her face away sadly. The healer nodded understandingly and left her in peace.

* * *

As soon as she was fully recovered, Clarion decreed that no warm fairies should visit the Winter Woods, nor should any cold fairies leave it. The danger was just too great. The only exception was the Minister of Winter, who was permitted limited travel to communicate with the Lord of Winter, but even those trips were greatly reduced and restricted. For the most part, Winter became its own domain.

Not long after the decree, Clarion slipped away to the lake alone. She didn't expect to find Milori there, though part of her had hoped. She was still devastated at the pain her foolishness had caused him.

She looked at the beautiful frozen lake, the only place besides the bridge that a flightless fairy could cross between the warm seasons and the cold. She thought of all the happy evenings she and Milori had spent there together. She remembered Milori's dance and his breathtaking leaps through the air, a feat that now would be impossible for him without his wings.

With a heartbroken cry, she raised her hands and ruptured the ice, causing a deep fissure to form between the Winter side and the Spring side. Now the two worlds were truly separated.

Feeling empty, she walked away from the ice for the last time.


	4. Chapter 4: A Time to Cast Away

**Author's Note:** Anyone else wonder where Snowflake was during The Secret of the Wings?

* * *

"I am retiring," the Minister of Winter announced.

Snowflake set her teacup down with a delicate clink and frowned at the shocked gasps from her fellow ministers.

"Oh, don't act so surprised! What would any of _you_ do if someone else had taken over your responsibilities? The Winter Woods is being wonderfully managed with absolutely no intervention on my part. Why, the cold fairies have even devised a method of sending messages via courier owl, so that none need ever approach the border, let alone have reason to cross it."

"But...but you can't just _quit_!" Hyacinth spluttered. "What will you do?"

Snowflake gave them a sly smile. "I was thinking I might visit the mainland for a time," she said casually, enjoying a second round of gasps.

For her part, Clarion had merely blinked at her friend's announcement. She had been expecting something of this nature for some time. She placed a hand on Snowflake's arm and the fairy turned to her, her teasing grin fading as she met the queen's gaze.

"I'm not bitter," Snowflake told Clarion quietly. "I'm very proud of all that he's accomplished." Clarion let is slide how everyone avoided saying _his_ name in her presence, as if somehow it might hurt less to be reminded as long as the name was not actually spoken. "It's just..." Snowflake hesitated.

Clarion smiled kindly. "I know," she replied. "And I'm sorry. You feel you've been given a role that is ill-suited to you." Snowflake nodded, looking troubled.

Clarion raised her voice to include all of her ministers. "Each fairy who arrives in Pixie Hollow is assigned a talent. The talents are never wrong, though sometimes it takes a fairy some time to realize that. As we have all recently been reminded." Some of the ministers chuckled. They all knew she was speaking of young Tinker Bell, who had caused complete chaos in her quest to be something other than a tinker fairy before at last accepting who she was.

"It will be the same for you, Snowflake," Clarion said gently.

"But Milori-"

In spite of herself, Clarion flinched and Snowflake immediately fell silent, pressing her fingers over her lips in chagrin.

"I'm sorry," Clarion said again. "I don't have the answers for you, but I feel in my heart that we will one day have need of our Minister of Winter." She patted Snowflake's arm and could see the hope warring with disappointment and frustration on her friend's face.

"I think," she said slowly, smiling when Snowflake looked up, "what you really need is a vacation."

* * *

Snowflake left for the mainland two days later with little fanfare. Only the queen and ministers saw her off, not wanting to alarm any of the other fairies by the Minister of Winter's absence.

Hyacinth was still against the idea. "But what if winter doesn't _end_ properly without her?" he all but wailed.

Redleaf, pinching the bridge of his nose, growled at Hyacinth in exasperation. "Don't be a ninny! The only thing that needs to happen for winter to end is for us to bring spring, and that's _your_ job. Now if winter doesn't _start_ properly, it'll be my fairies who have to deal with a longer autumn," he grumbled.

Sunflower swatted at them good-naturedly, then turned her sunniest grin on Snowflake. "Listen to them go on! You enjoy your trip and don't worry about a thing here. That boy has things well in hand over in winter."

As she finished packing her bags on Flurry's back, Snowflake smiled over her shoulder. "Thank you for understanding. Especially you, my queen." She nodded her head to Clarion, who waved the formalities aside to embrace her.

"We will miss you here. Stay safe, Snowflake," Clarion whispered.

The queen stepped back with the others as Snowflake nodded and climbed onto the owl's back. "And Snowflake," she called. "Remember what I said. Pixie Hollow needs its Minister of Winter." Snowflake nodded again, though dubiously.

And then she was gone.

Time passed, seasons changed, and all progressed as usual in Pixie Hollow. Redleaf reported that the fairies were preparing for winter normally, appearing to not even notice Snowflake's continued absence. Clarion felt a pang for her lost minister, but still could not shake the feeling that someday her role would be vital.

"Excuse me, Your Majesty? Might I have a moment?"

Clarion pulled herself from her thoughts with a shake of her head. "Fairy Mary, of course," she said warmly. "What is it?"

Fairy Mary managed to looked amused and annoyed at once. "Well, it's Tinker Bell. Again."

Clarion stifled a laugh. "Oh, dear. What is it this time?"

"She's, well…" Fairy Mary's gaze slid to the floor awkwardly, in a way that had grown all too familiar to Clarion. "I would have gone to the minister but…" She shrugged helplessly.

"Is it something to do with winter?" Clarion asked, more sharply than she intended. Fairy Mary jumped guiltily at her tone. "I'm sorry, please tell me what's happened," Clarion said more gently.

As Fairy Mary explained about Tinker Bell's ill-fated visit to the Winter Woods, Clarion sighed. It had been a long time since any fairy had desired to cross the boundary between warm and cold seasons.

Fairy Mary huffed, "That girl! If she's not blowing us all up with some new creation, she's risking life and limb on a silly adventure. Oh, she'll be the death of me! And not a bit ashamed of herself either."

Clarion couldn't help but laugh, and Fairy Mary gave her an abashed grin before joining in.

"I'll have to speak to Tinker Bell," Clarion said once they both had calmed. "She's already asked to meet me tomorrow afternoon, so it will keep until then."

But the next morning, Clarion began receiving confusing reports from all over Pixie Hollow. Tinker Bell was up to something and all of her friends were involved as well, but no one seemed to know what exactly.

At last, the most alarming news reached her ears.

A winter fairy! In the warm seasons! How could Tinker Bell be foolish enough to bring someone across the boundary? And how could any of the cold fairies be foolish enough to cross?

Clarion flew at once for the boundary, receiving news along the way that the cold fairy had fallen ill and was being rushed home.

She arrived to find the crisis mostly averted.

Tinker Bell hovered anxiously just on the warm side of the boundary, while Milori - _Milori!_ \- knelt on the winter side next to a cold fairy. The cold fairy fluttered her wings, glancing over her shoulder at them worriedly.

"This is why we do _not_ cross the border," Milori was telling the cold fairy. Clarion nearly sighed at the sound of his calm, familiar voice.

"No! It could have worked!" The cold fairy protested. "We just...needed a bigger piece of ice."

A piece of ice? Clarion frowned in confusion, then noticed Tinker Bell's friends waiting anxiously at the end of the bridge. They had some kind of machine affixed to a cart, and the queen realized suddenly that in true tinker fashion, Tinker Bell had come up with a device to bring the coldness of the ice into the warm seasons.

"And when that was gone?" Milori's voice was more concerned than angry. "Your wings could have _broken_."

The cold fairy protested, but Milori remained firm. "The rule is there to protect you. I'm sorry. You two may never see each other again." He turned to leave, and Clarion noticed then that he wore a cape of owl feathers across his back, and an owl stood behind him. Did the cold fairies even know about his injury?

"B-but...please don't do this!" The cold fairy pled. "We belong together!"

"We're _sisters_!" Tinker Bell cried from the boundary. "We were born of the same laugh."

Milori froze, and Clarion's heart felt as if it were breaking. It was the same tragedy, all over again. Two fairies who were meant to be together, but forced to be forever apart.

She couldn't let him deal with this alone. Taking a deep breath, Clarion descended to the boundary, hearing Tinker Bell's passionate protest as she arrived.

"Lord Milori!" Tinker Bell yelled. "Your rule will _not_ keep us apart!"

"Tinker Bell!" Clarion chided, silencing the young fairy. "This is not Lord Milori's rule. It's mine."

Tinker Bell turned to the queen in astonishment. "Queen Clarion-"

But Clarion cut her off, using her most regal tone. "I'm sorry."

Unused to being treated so formally by the queen, tears gathered in Tinker Bell's eyes and a moment later she fled from the boundary. Clarion watched her go sadly. She knew her words would hurt, but Tinker Bell had to understand how dangerous her actions had been.

She heard Milori speaking with the cold fairy and turned back to face him. The cold fairy was leaving, clearly as distraught as Tinker Bell.

Across the empty bridge, Clarion and Milori's eyes met. It was the first time they had seen each other since that disastrous night. There were so many things she wanted to say to him, but she could read nothing in his expression except a lingering sadness. Guilt overwhelmed her and Milori turned without a word, mounting his owl and flying back into the Winter Woods.

* * *

Milori's heart ached as he left Clarion at the boundary. When he heard that one of his fairies had crossed into the warm seasons, he had known that he might encounter Clarion, but his fear for the cold fairy's safety pushed all other concerns to the back of his mind. He was glad her arrival had momentarily distracted everyone. No one had noticed how he froze at the sound of her voice.

The sight of her, all golden serenity, had pierced him like the sun on a midwinter day. For all that it shone brightly, none of its warmth could pierce the icy air. And yet still he craved it.

The sense of dissatisfaction made him irrationally angry. He could have left the tinker fairies' strange machine to be dismantled, as Clarion surely would have ordered, but instead he had Freeze circle back and snatch the entire cart up in his talons, dropping it deep into the ravine to shatter in the swift rapids.

Somehow, the destruction of two fairies' dreams did not make him feel any better.

With a heavy heart, he turned Freeze towards the Keeper's residence, where he suspected Periwinkle had fled. He was concerned with how distraught she had been when she left. He was one of the few, perhaps the only, person in winter who could understand exactly how she felt.

When Dewey met him at the door with a sad smile, Milori knew his hunch had been correct. He followed the Keeper to the platform where Periwinkle was slumped, watching a scene that repeated over and over in the chill air.

"So it's true," he murmured.

"Oh, yes. It's marvelous," Dewey nodded, brightening momentarily. "Sisters!" Then his gaze fell on Periwinkle again and his face fell. He sighed and took a half step forward. "Peri?" he said softly.

The fairy lifted her head, her eyes widening as she noticed Milori standing beside Dewey. Milori walked forward slowly, gazing at the scene of Periwinkle and Tinker Bell's births. He didn't know what to say to comfort her, but her quiet sniffles pained him.

At last he took a deep breath and began to speak. "Once upon a time, many years ago, it was not so unusual for warm and cold fairies to visit each other." He kept his voice low, sensing Periwinkle and Dewey both drawing near to listen. Dewey knew the story of course, but Milori rarely spoke of it. He continued to watch the moving images, not looking at either of them.

"And so it came to pass that a cold fairy and a warm fairy fell in love." The word was little more than a sigh. "They could not live together, but they met every evening at the border where Spring touches Winter. But as their love grew stronger, they wished to be together and share each other's worlds. So they disregarded the danger and crossed."

He clenched his fists and turned to face Periwinkle. "One of them broke a wing, and the other...nearly died." He closed his eyes against her shocked gasp, then forced them open again. "From that day forward Queen Clarion decreed that fairies must never again cross the border, and I agreed that our two worlds...should forever remain apart."

Periwinkle looked stunned. "And...the two fairies?" she asked tentatively.

Milori looked up at the pictures dancing across the wall. They dissipated at his forceful wave, their light fading into darkness. Milori met Periwinkle's eyes and sadly shook his head.

* * *

Clarion slept fitfully that night, having had a very similar talk with Tinker Bell. The young fairy wasn't any happier with the situation, but at least she seemed to understand the danger.

At last Clarion admitted defeat and climbed out of bed to stand at the window. The sun was just beginning to rise, casting a brilliant array of colors across the sky and trees. The memory of sharing similarly-colored evenings with Milori hit her like a slap and she swayed in its grip.

Before she knew what was happening, she was out the door and headed toward their old meeting spot. She hesitated as she neared the boundary. She hadn't been back to the lake since the awful day when she shattered it.

And then she heard it.

The unmistakable sound of blades on the ice.

In a daze, Clarion drifted forward. She felt as if she had been transported back in time to that day years ago when she had first heard the sound, that cool _swish kish_ of ice gliding against ice. That day she had first seen Milori-

Clarion gasped.

He was there.

The empty gap between Spring and Winter was wide, but on the Winter side the ice was less fragile and gripped the snowy bank solidly, refusing to fall into the ravine.

And there Milori skated.

He moved as gracefully as she remembered and she was momentarily spellbound as she watched.

Her eyes were inevitably drawn to his back. He wore a close-fitting vest, which she surmised was to prevent his wings from fluttering involuntarily. The instinctive reaction might damage his injured wing further. His feather cape lay discarded on the far bank.

He was approaching a gash where the ice had broken away jaggedly. Her heart jumped into her throat as she realized he was picking up speed rather than slowing. Without his wings to aid him, there was no way that one of his majestic, twirling leaps would be able to carry him all the way across the gap.

She reached out a hand, knowing she couldn't cross to him and yet wanting to stop him. She wanted to scream, but only a tiny squeak emerged.

He leapt.

He spun.

And then, impossibly, he landed.

And he looked at her.

Clarion felt faint and realized she had been holding her breath. She was even still standing with her hand outstretched to him. Drawing a deep, gasping breath, she lowered her arm and folded her hands in front of her, trying to regain the regal poise she so often hid behind.

She couldn't break her gaze away from his. Slowly, she walked down the bank to the edge of where the lake had met the Spring shore.

Milori skated back around the hole in the ice until he came to the edge directly across from her.

They stared at each other across the divide, and in that moment Clarion thought they could have spoken and laid their demons to rest, if only they hadn't been separated by such a distance.

Tears gathered in her eyes and Clarion bowed her head and turned away. As she began to fly back up the slope, something made her look back.

Though his broken wing kept him firmly on the ground, Milori was poised as if for flight, one hand reaching across the emptiness for her. The expression on his face was anguished. When he saw her turn, he recoiled as if ashamed she should witness his sorrow. His feet slid on the ice and he landed hard on one knee, head bowed.

Stricken, Clarion turned away quickly and leapt into the air to flee.

A sharp crack stopped her in midair.


	5. Chapter 5: A Time to Gather Together

Clarion whirled back to face the lake and found her worst fears realized.

The ice where Milori crouched had cracked, slowly beginning to break away, and threatened to plummet into the abyss. He attempted to scramble back to safety but his hands slid on the slick surface and he was unable to find purchase.

Time seemed to stand still as the ice completed its break and began a slow downward slide. In that frozen moment, Milori's eyes met Clarion's and she knew his horrified expression must mirror her own. Any other fairy could have easily flown to safety but Milori had no such recourse.

There was no time to think. Clarion dove across the boundary toward the falling ice. She was barely aware of the bitter cold as she reached for Milori. He made a startled noise as she plowed into him, her arms going around his waist and his landing upon his shoulders. She would never have been able to carry him, but the force of her momentum threw them both up and back, bridging the small distance to the safety of the remaining, solid portion of the lake.

For a few breathless moments they lay tangled together, Milori sprawled ungracefully on his back with Clarion half-curled on top of him, their faces inches apart. Then Milori's eyes drifted over her shoulder and widened fearfully as they focused on her wings. Clarion winced, finally noticing the icy atmosphere surrounding her.

"Freeze! To me!" Milori bellowed, startling Clarion as he struggled to his feet without releasing his grip on her. Disoriented from both her spontaneous rescue attempt and the sudden temperature drop, Clarion was momentarily baffled by his words. She clung to him, dizzy and shivering.

A moment later, a white owl dropped from the sky to land gently beside them. Milori wasted no time in depositing Clarion on its back and leaping up beside her. "Hya!" he yelled, the instant he gripped its feathers. It took only a few swift beats of its large wings for the owl to leap into the air and cross the ravine to Spring. Then Milori was helping her down and spinning her around to anxiously inspect her wings.

Clarion drew a steadying breath, taking a small step away and batting at Milori's hands. "It..it was only a few moments," she said weakly. She looked over her shoulder at him, and gasped. Already, sweat beaded his forehead and his face was unnaturally flushed.

"Back! Now!" she ordered, pointing to Winter.

Milori hesitated, his eyes still anxiously darting over her. "Clarion…"

"Go!" she insisted. "You must!" She placed a hand on his chest and gave him a gentle shove.

His hand caught hers, trapping it against his chest for a long moment before he turned quickly and mounted the owl again. The owl took flight with a great sweep of its wings, but to Clarion's surprise it did not land on the far bank but instead continued deeper into the Winter Woods.

Milori did not look back.

Sinking to the fresh grass, Clarion buried her face in her hands.

It was a long time before she felt steady enough to return home. Thankfully, not many were close enough to the queen to notice her unusual mood, and those who were also knew enough about her past, coupled with the stories of Tinker Bell's most recent adventures, that they tactfully remained silent.

* * *

The next day, disaster struck.

It started with a few snowflakes drifting over the warm side of Pixie Hollow, but even that was enough to cause a panic. Snowflakes did _not_ just drift across the border and cause flurries out of season.

Clarion swiftly followed their trail and was joined by her three ministers, each babbling at her in a panic, but she ignored their words and focused on flying as swiftly as possible to the source of the snow.

As they arrived at the border and stared down into the deep ravine separating the warm seasons from winter, Clarion could see the ridiculous contraption that Tinker Bell and her friends had created. It was wedged in the icy river between two large rocks, churning out a small snowstorm as quickly as it could process the ice that the river was forcing through it. The tinker fairies were already at work to dislodge the device, but Clarion knew it was too late.

While the other fairies were still cheering about the destruction of the ice machine, Clarion was surveying the warm lands in dismay. The weather had been too erratic and the temperature changes too drastic. A freeze was coming.

The next hours dissolved into chaos as fairies from all three warm seasons rushed to protect whatever they could. Plants, animals, insects, all was gathered into safe havens. Many of the fairies worked frantically to protect the Pixie Dust Tree with blankets but even a large amount of the fairy-sized coverings were barely a speck to the massive tree. Clarion fought the rising terror that nothing they could do would be enough. She couldn't let the others see how afraid she was.

Then something shocking caught her attention. Cold fairies! But how? Realization washed over her almost instantly. Of course! The approaching freeze had dropped the temperature to something less dangerous for them, though not yet to the point where the warm fairies were adversely affected.

"Tinker Bell!" she called, drawing the small group's attention as they approached.

"Queen Clarion!" Tinker Bell cried in relief. "They can help!"

The fairy nearest Tinker Bell hastened to explain, "Our frost...it covers like a blanket. It can protect the tree!"

Momentarily stunned to hear her own idea, that she had convinced herself was madness, echoed back to her, Clarion spun, staring desperately at the Pixie Dust Tree. It would work. It had to! "Do it!" she ordered, and the cold fairies immediately sprang into action.

Clarion watched in awe as the small band of fairies began blanketing the tree in frost, icy swirls spreading across the wide bark and the leaves perfectly preserved in their frosty casings. Still, the tree was so huge and the fairies were so few. She was aware of her warm fairies distributing blankets to each other somewhere behind her, but couldn't tear her eyes away from the tree long enough to take one for herself.

Soon enough, the cold fairies landed before her again, Tinker Bell going to meet them. She could tell from their disheartened expressions that they had realized what she had: the tree was far too big for a mere handful of fairies to frost. Her heart was breaking. Without the Pixie Dust Tree, it would be the end of Pixie Hollow all the fairies in it.

There was a commotion amongst the cold fairies and Clarion saw them suddenly take to the sky. Her eyes followed their movements and she gasped, hope returning in a rush.

Owls were coming.

* * *

"Lord Milori!"

Milori glanced over as Periwinkle rose to fly beside Freeze. He had been studying the Pixie Dust Tree. It was far more massive than the offshoot that reached into winter and he could see the telltale flashes of white where Periwinkle and her friends had attempted to frost the entire thing on their own. They would never have made it in time, he knew. He wasn't sure all of them together could manage it either, but Periwinkle did not need to see that fear.

"We've come to help," he told her, determination filling his voice.

Somewhere behind him, Dewey chortled. "You didn't think I was gonna let you do this all by yourself now, did you?"

Periwinkle flashed the Keeper a grateful grin before turning her attention back to the Lord of Winter, her expression growing serious. "The tree should be our top priority!" she said urgently. "And any fairy we can spare should try to frost the other seasons."

Milori nodded, calling out orders to his hastily assembled army. "Start at the freeze line and spread out to Spring and Summer! The rest of you, cover the tree!"

As he reached the outermost branches of the tree, Freeze swooped and Milori reached up, coating a thick branch in protective frost. All around them, his cold fairies were doing the same. The white expanses on the tree began to outnumber the greens and browns.

Glancing down, he saw Clarion and a number of warm fairies huddled at the base of the tree. The queen's hands were clasped hopefully before her as she tracked his movements. He looked away quickly. He couldn't afford to be distracted just now.

Freeze flew tirelessly, the other owls and cold fairies zipping around him in carefully ordered chaos. His chest swelled with pride at the work they were doing.

At last, he took Freeze skyward to survey the results. As far as his eyes could see, all of Pixie Hollow that had not already been swallowed by the freeze was now safely covered in frost. Directing Freeze to the base of the tree, he slid easily from the bird's back.

He nodded proudly to his fairies, Periwinkle at their lead. "We've done all that we can. Join the others."

Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself to face the queen. His resolve almost immediately faltered as he saw her shivering from the approaching cold. "The freeze is upon us. You must take cover," he said gently.

Clarion didn't move. "Will everything be alright?" she asked, and he heard the unspoken plea in her voice. They both knew all too well the dangers of mixing warm and cold.

He could only shake his head. "I don't know...I've never seen anything like this." Momentarily, he was frustrated by the absence of Minister Snowflake. It was rare that she knew more about winter than he, who lived in it, did but she had also spent years researching and studying winter. In a case like this, her knowledge may have been very useful.

Clarion was still watching him, shivering. He wondered why she didn't have a blanket like the other warm fairies. Concerned, he quickly removed his feather cape, draping it around her shoulders. She gave him a grateful smile that pierced his heart.

"Thank you, Milori," she murmured, and he knew she was referring to more than just the cape.

"Please, take cover," he begged, and at last she turned to the cave where the other warm fairies were huddled.

Only then did it occur to him that his broken wing would now be revealed to all. He knew the other fairies suspected, as most had never seen him fly or even seen his wings at all, but to have the brutal injury on display like this before all of them...no, he could not let it concern him.

Periwinkle and the others were watching him, a mixture of sorrow and fearfulness on their faces. "Winter fairies, stand guard!" he barked.

Periwinkle, closest to him, looked momentarily taken aback, then shook herself and dutifully stepped up to the edge of the tree, bracing herself against the freeze. Other fairies followed suit and Milori joined them, broken wing forgotten. They could do nothing else but watch the freeze approach. And hope.


	6. Chapter 6: A Time to Heal

Waiting while the freeze crept over the tree and around the outside of the small knot where she huddled with her fairies was the hardest thing Clarion had ever done. She clutched Milori's cape around her, inhaling deeply and allowing herself to dream for just one moment that it was his arms around her.

Remembering the sight of his wing, ending in a jagged broken tear, was enough to banish the pleasant daydream from her thoughts. Though he seemed to bear her no ill will, she could not help the guilt that threatened to engulf her.

Eventually, sunlight peeping through the cracks in the bark alerted her that the worst of the freeze had passed and she tentatively stepped out into the light. She was unsurprised to find that Tinker Bell was already there, staring anxiously at the tree. Clarion lifted her eyes as well, hoping against all hope. It had to work. It had to!

Milori's cape dropped unnoticed from one shoulder as she held her breath. The entire clearing was silent as every fairy watched and waited.

Then at last, at last, it happened. With a crack, the ice around the tree burst open and a stream of golden pixie dust flowed into the base. It set off a chain reaction, frost and ice shattering, melting, dissolving, disappearing to reveal the healthy tree underneath. All around Pixie Hollow, life was returning, safe and sound thanks to the winter fairies.

The clearing exploded, warm and cold fairies alike cheering and capering through the air in celebration. Clarion felt like dancing herself, but stayed demurely on the ground, folding Milori's cape over her arm as he approached. He was grinning with relief and she found herself smiling back at him.

She stepped in close to him, perhaps closer than she ought to be, and saw his eyes widen in surprise as she placed her hand on his arm. She had to speak quickly, quietly, while the others were all distracted.

"That was it," she told him urgently. "The idea that drove me foolishly into winter in the middle of the night."

"Clarion, what...you're trembling!" He wrapped his arms around her but she placed her fingers on his lips, silencing him.

"I'm not cold, but listen. _Listen._ " He nodded and she dropped her hand. "I had the idea that your frost could protect me, protect my wings, from the cold. I thought-"

"That we could be together," he murmured, then quickly pursed his lips at her admonishing glare.

"I woke up and my head was just full of these dreams, and I ran off without thinking." She sighed. "It was the most utterly ridiculous, completely lovesick, foolish thing I have ever done and it is my deepest regret that you paid the price for it."

"Clari, Clari," he soothed, fingers brushing through her hair gently. Her heart leapt at the nickname. "Don't, please. No real harm was done. I spent much of my time with Freeze anyway. And now, after so long, I mostly don't even think about it all." He touched her chin so that she had to meet his eyes, and what she saw in them brought tears to her own. "I have no regrets. No sorrow could live within me as long as I know that you are safe and well."

"But not happy," she whispered, leaning into his touch. She saw her own emotions mirrored in his eyes.

She became aware of a heavy silence around them and broke her intense gaze with Milori to glance around.

Tinker Bell stood in the center of the clearing, alone on the ground when all the other fairies had taken flight. Slowly, as if ashamed, she removed her coat. A collective gasp rose from the assembled fairies and Periwinkle immediately landed beside her sister.

"Oh!" The cold fairy exclaimed, staring at the jagged rip in Tinker Bell's wing. "When you flew to winter...that's why you fell."

"Oh no…" Clarion said softly, drifting closer, Milori at her side.

Periwinkle looked lost. "Tink," she said sadly, "why didn't you tell me?"

Tinker Bell looked equally forlorn. "We had to save the tree," she said with a small shrug. "Besides, there's no cure for a broken wing."

Clarion felt sorrow and pride fill her at Tinker Bell's sacrifice.

"This happened because we tried to keep you apart," Milori said solemnly.

"But _never_ again," Clarion added. "You belong together." Now that they knew the frost worked, everything would change.

She felt Milori staring at her as the sisters talked softly, and stepped without thought into the embrace that he wordlessly offered. She felt such contentment in his arms. "Everything will change now," he murmured, echoing her thoughts out loud.

"If only we had learned this before…" His grip on her tightened and her voice trailed off as she glanced up at him. He was staring into the clearing in astonishment. Clarion turned to look and was equally stunned.

Tinker Bell and Periwinkle's wings were...sparkling. As they stood back to back, their identical wings aligned. Waves of light rippled across the wings and...something miraculous was happening.

Tinker Bell's wing was healing. She gave her wings a tentative flutter, then lifted into the air. It was as if the tear had never happened.

Clarion gasped, joy filling her as the other fairies broke into cheers once more. She heard the Keeper babbling something about adding a new chapter in his wing book.

"If only you had a brother," she told Milori.

He smiled. "I have something better," he said into her ear.

At that moment, she felt as if all the barriers to her happiness had fallen away. Not caring who was watching, she turned to her Lord of Winter and pulled him into a kiss, which he returned enthusiastically.

After a moment of stunned silence from the onlookers, the noise around them doubled and Clarion pulled away with a blush. Milori's silly grin was worth every bit of her embarrassment, and they both knew that they no longer had any reason to conceal or deny their relationship.

* * *

The next few weeks were full of celebrations.

A few trees and plants closest to the border had been damaged, but the fairies in those seasons were working hard to encourage new growth. Thanks to the quick actions of the warm fairies and the aid of the cold fairies, there was surprisingly little damage.

Winter clothes became the latest fashion, every fairy clamoring for their own set so they could visit winter for themselves. Milori had to assign a constant frost fairy presence at the border to ensure that each warm fairy was properly attired and had their wings safely frosted as they crossed.

Once that was taken care of, the risks became so minimal that he was able to sneak away to take Clarion flying. Flying on an owl was nothing like flying with one's own wings but he had never dreamed that he would be able to share the experience with her. Now as he leaned down to help her onto Freeze's back, he was struck dumb by how beautiful her golden wings looked as they glittered with silver frost. He ran his fingers down them lovingly and she gasped at the caress, face flushing.

"I love you," he told her, smiling at her adorable blushes.

"And I you," she replied, a light in her eyes that he knew shone only for him. She snuggled closer into his lap, now making _him_ gasp.

Her laughter was lost in the wind as Freeze took them up into the cold sky.

Snowflake returned in the middle of the festivities and immediately caused such a commotion at the border that it took Clarion and all three of the other ministers to calm her down enough to explain. She was at once delighted at the discovery, vexed that she had never thought of it herself, and beyond smug when she noticed how close her queen was standing to Milori.

She managed to remain appropriately solemn as Milori officially requested some time off from his responsibilities, though her serious mien did not stop her from wondering aloud how they would find a stand-in for the queen, as she expected their liege would shortly be otherwise occupied. Milori flushed, but Clarion, overjoyed at having one of her oldest friends back, merely quipped that perhaps Tinker Bell would be available.

The simultaneous horror on all four ministers' faces was priceless.

\- End -

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Thanks to all of my reviewers, especially leo105! While I would love to write more about this couple, the plot bunnies are in hiding so far. If you enjoyed this story, please send me links to your favorite Clarion/Milori stories. There aren't enough of them out there! :)


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